Metru
Metru is an upcoming anthology of six planned and three confirmed short stories involving the Toa Metru and their battles against Makuta and the Visorak horde. The stories are meant to explore the characters of the Toa Metru and their interactions and feelings during certain points in the canon. Some of the stories are concurrent to canonical events, while others act as interludes between major points in the official storyline. The stories are not placed in chronological order. Metru Nokama: Silence Takes place not long after the discovery of the island of Mata Nui. Nokama walked down the beach of the strange new island she and her fellow Toa had found, following the footprints in the sand. The ocean next to her was almost as blue as her armor, and in the distance glowed a single, red sun that was about to fall below the horizon. This island is truly strange, she thought, examining the alien sky above her. She had been following a set of footprints down a rockier part of the coast in search of Vakama. The Toa of Fire had disappeared earlier while the Toa were making camp, and he had been absent for hours. She had departed in hopes of finding their absent comrade. As she rounded a rock, she found the crimson-armored Toa sitting and looking out across the bay. “Another vision?” Nokama asked, knowing the Toa of Fire’s habit of seeing apparitions from the Great Spirit. “No,” Vakama said, shaking his head and turning to look at her. He had always seemed detached, even more so in the days following the battle with Mavrah’s Rahi. The anxious look in his eyes did not ease the Toa of Water’s troubled spirit. “Just thinking, I guess.” Nokama sat down next to him. “About what?” “Failure, you could say,” Vakama replied with a heavy heart. “Failures of the past and those still to come.” She nodded solemnly. The Toa had suffered many defeats during their brief time as heroes. The Matoran of Metru Nui had been captured by Makuta, the Great Spirit had been cast into a never ending slumber, their home had been utterly ravaged by a great cataclysm, and their only option had been to run. “Don’t forget, brother, that we have had our victories as well,” she reminded him, hoping to ease his mood. “We’ve saved five Matoran, and we can rescue more. And Makuta of course is now just a decoration on the Great Barrier.” The Toa of Fire didn’t respond well. “But we’ve lost so much. Our home lies in ruins. One Matoran is at the bottom of some river and Lhikan-“ His voice trailed off, lost in grief. “Vakama,” Nokama said, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder. His eyes narrowed under his Huna, becoming little more than yellow slits. “How is it that everything I touch ends in failure?” he bemoaned. “We beat Makuta but end up killing Mavrah and whoever was asleep in that lost pod… As Toa, we’ve destroyed more than we protect.” “You shouldn’t dwell on the past,” Nokama said. “You shouldn’t use it to define where we should go. Look where we started. A bunch of whining strangers who could barely stop bickering amongst ourselves long enough to save the city. And under your leadership, we managed to defeat Makuta and find a new home for the Matoran.” “It was also my leadership that killed Lhikan.” There was a moment of silence as both remembered the Turaga that had sacrificed so much for the Toa, including his life. “But you led us here,” Nokama stated, breaking the silence. “It was everything you thought would make you fail that lead us here. Your visions,” she pointed to his head, “showed us the way.” The Toa of Fire bobbed his head, eyes still gazing forlornly across the ocean. “And, like Lhikan,” she added, “I’m proud to call you brother.” She raised her fist and gave Vakama a comforting smile. He looked at it and placed his own knuckles against hers. “Thank you,” he said quietly. They sat, staring across the ocean and listening to the waves crash into the coast. Despite what she had said, Nokama still worried about her fellow Toa. But for now, she was content to sit on the shore under these new foreign stars, sharing silence with a friend. Vakama: Power Takes place shortly before the Battle of Metru Nui. Nuju: Unknown